Japan nuclear plant conditions worsening, local media reports

Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times

Conditions appear to be worsening at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture in northeastern Japan, according to local media.

The Kyodo news agency reported that the cooling system has failed at three reactors of Fukushima No. 2 nuclear power plant. The coolant water's temperature had reached boiling temperature, the agency reported, citing the power plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power.

The cooling system failure at the No. 2 power plant came after officials were already troubled by the failure of the emergency cooling system at the Fukushima No. 1 plant, which officials feared could cause a meltdown.

Authorities have ordered the evacuation of all civilians in a two-mile radius around the No.1 plant, a total of about 3,000 people, and planned to vent slightly radioactive steam from the plant, located about 160 miles north of Tokyo.

A properly functioning cooling system is critical to keep radioactive material from escaping the nuclear reactor's containment zone.